Toyota and Suzuki have been in a partnership for a very long time. Beyond simply sharing some of their existing models, both manufacturers have jointly developed several new models. In India, we have the Maruti Grand Vitara-Toyota Hyryder and Toyota Innova Hycross-Maruti Invicto as examples. The brands are now planning to expand this list with an electric SUV. This would, in fact, be the most affordable electric vehicle from Toyota in India. This EV is jointly developed by Maruti Suzuki and Toyota and will be officially unveiled next month.
We all know that Maruti is working on the eVX electric SUV, which will be officially unveiled at the European Auto Show next month. Both Toyota and Suzuki recently announced that they will be selling the upcoming eVX electric SUV not only in India but abroad as well. The electric SUV will be available with 40 kWh and 60 kWh battery packs, with claimed ranges of 400 Kms and 600 Kms respectively.
According to reports, the international market will receive the eVX under the Toyota badge, while Suzuki won’t be offering the eVX internationally. Internationally, the bZ4X is Toyota’s affordable electric vehicle. While we say “affordable,” it is not the most affordable. We checked the prices online and found that the bZ4X will be around Rs 70 lakh in India. Toyota’s upcoming EV aims to change this.
It is expected to be priced aggressively. The Toyota electric SUV will be manufactured at Maruti Suzuki’s facility in Gujarat. Maruti’s version of the electric SUV, known by the concept name eVX, will be unveiled on November 4th. The electric SUV will be unveiled in India next year in January.
According to the report, the production of the Maruti Suzuki eVX SUV will start in April, and the SUV will be exported to other countries. Exports will commence in May, with the official launch of the electric SUV occurring around the same time, and domestic sales beginning in June next year.
A few months after the eVX is unveiled, we can expect Toyota’s version as well. Both versions will be sold in India, as with many other models. This plan, in which Toyota will launch their version of the eVX, was already known. They even called it the Urban Electric SUV. It will be a rebadged version of the eVX with brand-specific changes.
Toyota might go for a different grille, headlight, and taillight design to differentiate it from the Maruti EV. Both SUVs are based on the same platform, which they developed jointly. This skateboard platform is expected to be used in many more future products from both brands.
India is still a growing market, and customers here are not fully convinced about the idea of buying a pure EV. Multiple factors, including charging infrastructure and price, affect this decision. The introduction of new products in the market directly impacts the overall sales numbers of EVs, and both Maruti and Toyota aim to contribute to this rising demand with the launch of their new EVs.
In fact, they aim to double their EV segment sales with these new SUVs. Since this SUV is being manufactured in India, there is a high level of localization, which will directly impact the price. If Maruti and Toyota manage to pack the SUV with a decent number of features and a good driving range, the SUV could easily outcompete others and become a bestseller.
Many consider Maruti Suzuki to be late to the EV market, but we feel that is not the case. They have been testing electric vehicles in India even before any were officially launched here.
Over the years, they have been working to make the technology both affordable and reliable. Rather than launching an EV immediately, Maruti has invested significantly in developing infrastructure. Ahead of the launch of the Maruti eVX, the brand intends to install 25,000 charging stations across the country.
Toyota’s Urban Electric SUV is expected to come with 45 kWh and 50 kWh battery packs, potentially offering a claimed driving range of around 400-500 km. Toyota might offer a larger battery version of the SUV for the international market. The electric SUV will be available with both single-motor and dual-motor setups.
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